By SAM LANCE
CHICAGO — Class of 2023 four-star combo guard and UConn commit Stephon Castle plays the game of basketball cool as a cat. Whenever he’s out on the court, you’ll never see him rattled, and you’ll never see his facial expression change.
“I like to keep my composure,” Castle told ZAGSBLOG.com. “I don’t let little things get at me. I never let the defense think they are getting into me. So it just helps me mentally lock in.”
Castle, the 6-foot-6, 205-pound guard from Newton High School (GA) and the Atlanta Xpress AAU Program, committed to UConn back in November of 2021. He said the Huskies provided the whole package.
“The coaches, the atmosphere, the school, the campus, all of that,” Castle said. “It was just the best decision for me.”
During his recruitment, Castle was looking for a coach that would really push him and wouldn’t just tell him he’s a great player all the time. After Castle’s games, UConn head coach Dan Hurley would let him know what things he did well and what things he could improve upon.
“That’s why I sided with coach Hurley,” Castle said. “That’s what I gravitated toward and that’s what I’m looking forward to when I get to school.”
Hurley was court side on Wednesday for Castle’s game at the UAA finals. Associate head coach Kimani Young and assistant coach Tom Moore were also both spotted during the tournament.
UConn has recently picked up two more recruits in the class of 2023 in four-star shooting guard Solomon Ball and three-star small forward Jayden Ross. Castle said he didn’t know much about Ball and Ross before they committed, but he’s watched some tape on them since.
“They are really skilled,” Castle said. “I think they are going to help us a lot once we get there. I’ve talked to Solo a lot. He’s really locked in with UConn. He really loves the coaches, the campus, all of that. So with me and him going there and Jayden at the same time, that 2023 class is going to be really hard to beat.”
UConn likely isn’t finished in the 2023 class. Castle said he and the staff are actively recruiting some players.
“We’ve been recruiting Coen [Carr] a little bit,” Castle said. “We’ve been recruiting some more guys too, but we are just waiting on them to make their final list before we start recruiting them harder.”
The Georgia native is the ranked No. 29 player nationally and the No. 7 combo guard, per 247Sports. Castle said his biggest strengths are his IQ and vision.
“You don’t see a lot of people playing as smart as I do,” Castle said.
Castle’s favorite NBA team is the Boston Celtics and his favorite player is Jason Tatum. He models his game after Tatum and Cade Cunningham.
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